Pakistani Forces Launch Border Operations Killing Militants, Sparking Civilian Casualty Dispute
Pakistani security forces carried out a ground assault and targeted strikes along the Afghanistan border, killing 29 militants, AP News reported. The operation was described by Al Jazeera as a response to a series of attacks, including a recent assault on a Karachi security base. Officials said the ground and air action was intended to neutralize cross-border militants. Following the ground operation, Pakistan launched air strikes in three Afghan provinces, which Al Jazeera said killed dozens of militants.
The air campaign was presented as retaliation for the Karachi attack. Afghan authorities later claimed that the combined ground and air strikes killed at least 36 civilians and injured more than 160, AP News reported. Pakistan rejected the civilian-casualty figures, maintaining that its operations targeted militants.
